And if you need a recipe for a Salad in a Cup, I have one for you! I haven’t found anyone who says no to a Turkey club, so this Turkey Ranch Club Wrap from Life in the Loft House should be a crowd pleaser. Sliced wrap sandwiches and a salad in a cup is perfect lunch if you’re spending the day at a beach or hiking. This recipe for Grilled Steak Tacos from Two Peas and Their Pod looks perfect. Pop an extra steak on and use the leftovers to make tacos for lunch! Serve this with the Cowboy Rice Salad and you’re good to go. This recipe for the Best Grilled Chicken Marinade from Add a Pinch sounds scrumptious! Burgers and Hot Dogs with Loaded Friesīurgers and Fries are a staple and we’ll probably eat them more than once during the week, but to make it a little special, serve them with Loaded Fries! I can totally see a toppings bar set up with fun cheeses, leftover grilled veggies and maybe some fun dips or sauces? This recipe for Grill Foil-Pack Cheesy Fries from tbsp is kind of what I’m thinking. Because she won’t even look at it if it’s still on the bone. Except my daughter who refuses to eat meat off of a bone… No problem, I just cut hers off the bone. Chicken Legs with VeggiesĬhicken Legs are also a hit at our house. My family is fairly seafood friendly, especially shrimp, so to add some variety to the week, I’m going to add in a either a Shrimp boil or Shrimp packet dinner like this Low Country Boil Foil Packets from Nutmeg Nanny. Shrimp/Seafood Boil with Potatoes and Corn on the Cob This Cowboy Rice Salad from Recipe Tin Eats is what I have in mind. I also love a cold, carbohydrate laden salad for vacation because it keeps well and you can make a ton of it for the whole week. This recipe from Hawaiian Chicken Kebabs from Cooking Classy is one I’ve wanted to try for a long time. There’s something about eating off of a stick that just feels summery and vacation-y.

We always have a Kebab night on vacation. And for the love of God, let your steak REST before you slice into it. Instead of cooking it in the oven for the end, just be sure to close the grill on it for a few minutes. My recipe for Restaurant Quality Sirloin Steak translates well to the grill.

I love peppers and onions with steak, so I’d basically give them the same treatment as the potatoes and then season the steak and grill. Get those started first and then work on the steak and veggies. I like to use the little, tiny new potatoes, toss them in some olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder and pop those on the grill wrapped in tin foil. Set the tone for the week, ya know? Steak is really simple and fairly quick to just throw on the grill. I like to start vacation with a great meal. Something a little special that we might not have at home all the time. Snacks are also a big part of vacationing for us, so I want to make sure I include some good ones. Inevitably there will be days when we grab a slice of pizza for lunch or we skip dinner and have ice cream instead… Ideally, I want to focus on making dinners that will give us some leftovers to transform for lunch the next day. We’ll be gone for 7 days, which is technically 21 meals if you include breakfast, but I know if I plan 21 well thought out meals, we’ll end up with too much food.

The most difficult part of putting together a vacation meal plan is figuring out just how much food you will need. I also love planning a Vacation Meal Plan, so it’s a win all around! We might have the odd lunch or dinner out, but as my cooking skills improve, I really find that I look forward to cooking at the end of the day. The cottage that we stay in has a small, but efficient kitchen and a grill on the big deck over looking the lake so there is no excuse for not eating well while on vacation! My mother things that is a travesty and that the best part of vacation is going out to eat for every meal, but I actually do enjoy cooking and planning what we’ll eat, so I’m happy to cook. I look forward to this every year and I’m so excited that it’s finally almost here. Next week is our annual vacation to my favorite place on earth, Lake Winnepesaukee! I’ve written about my love for this spot before here.

Vacation meal planning